Table Talk

Energy prices are soaring and having a profound and growing impact on businesses of all kinds. But the hospitality sector has faced incredible pressure across two years of the Covid pandemic. So, how is it coping with this latest, significant challenge? It is a sector where showing a positive, welcoming face to your customers is vital. But businesses in the sector are reporting energy price rises of 95%, and many are being forced to raise prices, drastically reduce energy use, and cut trading hours. In the UK, the Government has offered support in its Mini Budget.   But, with a tough winter looming, will that help be enough?   Will the smile be back on the face of the hospitality sector in the medium term? In this episode we hear from two people who can offer a rounded view of how the energy price crisis is affecting the industry. Gareth Fulford is chef and patron at a restaurant in Cheltenham, where he is feeling the effects every single day. His business, like many others, is fighting battles on tw